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Happy November puzzle friends! It is officially Marwa’s favorite time of the year! The days are thankfully shorter, the nights are wonderfully longer, the air is chillier, and all the holidays are coming at us with all their joy, beauty, magic, and sparkling lights. It is quite literally the most wonderful time of the year.

One of the holidays coming up is Christmas, and boy do I LOVE all things Christmas! One of the many things I adore about Christmas is… you guessed it! Advent calendars. Let’s do a mini crash course on the history of advent calendars. The word 'Advent' is derived from the Latin word for 'coming'. Advent calendars can be traced back to the 19th century when families would mark every day in December until Christmas Eve with a chalk line. Now that we did some learning, let’s get to the creativity I’m about to share with you...CONTINUE READING

It’s almost time to get out all the decorations that have been packed away and to refresh all the memories of past years. The Christmas season is often a time of hectic preparations with lots of extra baking and shopping. But it is also a time to repeat some well-loved traditions. Watching the same holiday movies every year is comforting and digging out those well-worn Christmas puzzles is a must!...CONTINUE READING

What’s the largest puzzle you have ever put together on your own? 1000 pieces? 2000? 4000? Even more? Previously, the largest puzzle I had ever completed was 4000 pieces, but I decided it was time to up my game. I always chose my high-piece count puzzles very carefully so that I won’t get discouraged while working on them, and when I saw this 6,000 piece puzzle, titled Downtown from Clementoni, I knew it was the one. I really love artwork by Ciro Marchetti (see my artist spotlight), I knew I liked the quality of the brand Clementoni, and, most importantly, it looked like there was enough variety in the image for me to be able to finish it at such a large size...CONTINUE READING

According to the Alzheimer’s Association more than 1 million people are living with Alzheimer’s Disease in the US AND over 11 million people provide care for individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of Dementia.  These statistics hit home for me because my Nani (my great grandmother) had Alzheimer’s Disease. I can say firsthand that this is not only a struggle for those living with it, but also for families, friends, and caretakers of individuals with Alzheimer’s. With the prevalence of this disease, I’m guessing that you may know someone who suffers from it...CONTINUE READING

I have to admit, the first time I heard about a celebration called “Day of the Dead”, I thought it meant focusing on death(!)  Then I got curious, activated my courage, and found out more. It turns out, Day of the Dead is a holiday of joyous celebration!...CONTINUE READING

Whether woven or sewn, quilts have been around for a long time. The beauty of quilts is their defined shapes, appealing colorways, and functionality. After all, what do you do with a quilt? You hang it on display or use it to keep yourself warm.  If you’re a puzzler, you probably have an admiration for beautiful things and if not, at the very least, you probably would want to keep warm if it’s cold.  See that?!? A win win for everyone...CONTINUE READING

I always admire puzzlers who have the courage, time, space, and patience to do 5,000-20,000-piece puzzles. Even when following some puzzlers on Instagram, I am amazed to see how many people do over ten 1,000-piece puzzles in a single month. Don’t get me wrong, I love a thousand-piece puzzle, but sometimes I just don’t have the stamina and sometimes the time. This may be an unpopular opinion (a hot take even) but I have realized over the past couple of years, that a 300-piece puzzle is my favorite piece count. Let’s go over why I find them so appealing...CONTINUE READING

Cool breezes and crisp fall smells are always fantastic this time of year, and I can’t get enough of the seasonal decor, including the hints of magic during the spooky season. So it is perhaps no surprise that I frequently turn to puzzles with art by a self-proclaimed “animal artist with a magical twist:” Lisa Parker! So many of Lisa Parker’s puzzles emanate those fall feelings that I love so much, and I found myself doing quite a few of them this year, including a few new releases... CONTINUE READING

October is my birthday month, so to celebrate I thought I’d bring the party to my puzzle board and share it with you! I’m one of those people who loves “my” special day. Well, mine and the approximately 15 million other people who share it (and any birthday)! If you, like me, would rather the cardboard someone spent money on be in the form of a puzzle instead of a card (the average person receives 7 birthday cards and that money would add up to a nice puzzle), read on for some “asks” that you can put on your wish list...CONTINUE READING